Styggastjärnen

Character of the water

Styggastjärnen lies in central Sweden — a nutrient-rich lowland lake. In summer a thermocline settles around 6 m and splits the lake into two worlds.

The surroundings

The lake lies half-remote, a fair way from the nearest road, tucked into woodland.

Moderately deep (10 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Styggastjärnen FVOF. Day permit ~100 kr · annual permit ~500 kr.

• Pike: keep at most one over 75 cm per day.
• Handheld tackle only. Respect the protected zones at the inlets and outlets.

Fishing Styggastjärnen

perch, pike and burbot sit at the top of the food chain in Styggastjärnen, carried by roach and bream. The nutrient-rich water means plenty of baitfish — and predators that grow fat on them.

Whoever fishes Styggastjärnen regularly builds something of their own: a log of what took, where and when. That's how the water gives up its patterns — cast by cast, never all at once.

General rules of thumb for this kind of water

• Stratified, oxygen-poor lakes push the fish up above the thermocline in summer.
• Nutrient-rich lakes hold plenty of baitfish but often murky water.